The next few pages are a quick round up of what’s on for Old Beardo’s 200th. Add more in the comments please.

Many of these are linking to Facebook, sorry, but the ungated web is gone…

Karl Marx, in full Karl Heinrich Marx (born May 5, 1818, Trier and died March 14, 1883, London, England) was a philosopher, revolutionary, sociologist, historian, and economist. Marx and Freud have influenced life and literature in the twentieth century more deeply and extensively than the earlier great thinkers and scientists like Copernicus and Darwin influenced the life and literature in their own respective eras.. He published The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, anticapitalist works that form the basis of Marxism. It was Capital’s 150th anniversary in autumn 2017, the 170th anniversary of the Communist Manifesto will be in February 2018, and it would have been Karl Marx’s 200th birthday in May 2018. The Communist Party of the Philippines calls on all Filipino workers to start a year-long commemoration and celebration of Marx’s 200th birthday on May 5, 2018. The whole revolutionary movement must salute Karl Marx’ and Marxism’s great role in history and in the continuing world struggle for the emancipation of the proletariat and the entire humanity. This celebration is of great relevance to the working class, from politics to philosophy to academics as Karl Marx made a lasting imprint on the face of history. The Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS) has also an intention to commemorate the 200 years of Karl Marx by various activities including essay competition, seminar, special issues and books on this great thinker.

The Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS) Pehowa (Kurukshetra) on the occasion of the World Philosophy Day-2017 and 200th Birth Anniversary of Karl Marx, going to organize a National Level Essay Writing Competition on “The Philosophy of Karl Marx”. The competition aims at giving an opportunity to the youth of country to come across the various aspects of the philosophy of Karl Marx and his contribution to the world of knowledge.

About Karl Marx:

”Karl Marx, in full Karl Heinrich Marx (born May 5, 1818, Trier and died March 14, 1883, London, England) was a philosopher, revolutionary, sociologist, historian, and economist. Marx and Freud have influenced life and literature in the twentieth century more deeply and extensively than the earlier great thinkers and scientists like Copernicus and Darwin influenced the life and literature in their own respective eras.. He published The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, anticapitalist works that form the basis of Marxism. It was Capital’s 150th anniversary in autumn 2017, the 170th anniversary of the Communist Manifesto will be in February 2018, and it would have been Karl Marx’s 200th birthday in May 2018. The Communist Party of the Philippines calls on all Filipino workers to start a year-long commemoration and celebration of Marx’s 200th birthday on May 5, 2018. The whole revolutionary movement must salute Karl Marx’ and Marxism’s great role in history and in the continuing world struggle for the emancipation of the proletariat and the entire humanity. This celebration is of great relevance to the working class, from politics to philosophy to academics as Karl Marx made a lasting imprint on the face of history. The Centre for Positive Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies (CPPIS) has also an intention to commemorate the 200 years of Karl Marx by various activities including essay competition, seminar, special issues and books on this great thinker”.

Eligibility: All students pursuing any Undergraduate or Post Graduate courses from recognized college/institute/university. Age limit is 25 years or below for this competition.

Prizes: Prizes will be given to top 5 entries and a certificate also provided to those who follow proper guidelines.

Submission Guidelines:

The essays submitted by the participants must be in ‘English and Hindi’ language only.

The essay must be typed in Microsoft Word with Times New Roman, Font size 12, 1.5 linear spacing.

Co-authorship is allowed.

Word Limit: 2000 Maximum words including footnotes.

The participants submitting an entry in this essay contest need to affirm that the entry is his/her own work. Plagiarism can lead to outright rejection of submission.

Criteria of Evaluation:

The criteria to be applied in evaluating the entries are:

• Originality of the content

• Creativity and Rationality

• Style and Presentation of content

• Clarity and proper citations

Registration and Submission:

There is no registration fee for this essay competition. Participants should submit their essay with 10th class certificate and institutional ID proof along with registration form till 31st March 2018 on the given address. An advance copy of all documents should be submitted before last date via email id cppiskkr@gmail.com

May 2018 signals 200 years since the birth of German revolutionary theorist Karl Marx. Famous for his call to revolution in the Communist Manifesto and his thorough critique of the capitalist system in Capital, Marx’s ideas had a huge impact on the political, social and cultural landscape of the 19th and 20th centuries.

But are Marx’s ideas relevant today in the era of the internet, automation, and climate change? Is clinging to Marx a sign of dogmatism or fetishisation of outdated ideas of social change?

We don’t think so – in an age where we are told that capitalism’s global dominance is virtually complete, yet seems increasingly incapable of offering a future for all of us, Marx has a lot to offer those who want to change the world today. This weekend of seminars, discussion sessions and forums will provide an introduction to Marx’s ideas, how they were conceived in his own time and what relevance they have for today’s burning political questions.

Instead of a rigid dogma, Marx’s ideas can be seen as a set of important tools for understanding our society, in its political, economic, ecological and cultural dimensions. These tools can then help us shape how we think about strategies for changing this society towards a vision of equality and freedom.

***Stay tuned for details on program and speakers***

This is a free event – though we’ll pass around a donations bucket at the event to help cover some basic costs.

DRAFT PROGRAM (a full program with speakers and session descriptions will be posted soon):

Saturday 12 May
1:30pm Opening Panel: Marx After the End of History

3:15pm Parallel Session 1:
– How Capitalism Works
– Marx and the Environment

11.15 – 12.30 Parallel sessions
Marxism and the present as history
Chair: Vijay Prashad
Speakers:
John Foster, Emeritus Professor, Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland
Isabel Monal, Editor of Marx Ahora, a Cuban theoretical journal

Capitalism and new technology – has Marx been eclipsed?
Chair: Ann Field
Speakers:
Ursula Huws, Professor of Labour and Globalisation. Hertfordshire School of Business
Alan Blackwell, Professor of Interdisciplinary Design, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge

Class, race and gender: Marxism, exploitation and oppression
Chair: Will Sullivan
Speakers:
Mary Davis, Visiting Professor of Labour History at Royal Holloway, University of London
Sarah Mosoetsa, Associate Professor of Sociology, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, CEO National Institute for Humanities & Social Science

12.30 – 13.30 Lunch (not provided)

13.30 – 14.45
Plenary: Marx, philosophy and human development – Marxism and the battle of ideas
Chair: Alex Gordon
Speakers:
David McLellan, Visiting Professor of Political Theory, Goldsmiths, University of London
Isabel Monal, Editor of Marx Ahora, a Cuban theoretical journal
Li Xiaoxiao, Deputy Director of Marxism Department at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

14.45 – 15.15 Coffee (refreshments not provided)

15.15 – 16.30 Parallel sessions
Marxism and culture
Chair: Bruni de la Motte
Speakers:
David Margolies, Emeritus Professor of English at Goldsmiths, University of London
Christine Lindey, Art historian and visual arts critic

Populist Nationalism
Chair: Nisar Ahmed
Speakers:
Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Francisco Dominguez, Head of Brazil and Latin American Studies, Middlesex University London

Marxism and the environment
Chair: Richard Clarke
Speakers:
Ted Benton, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Essex
John O’Neill, Hallsworth Chair in Political Economy, University of Manchester

The role of the state
Chair: Marj Mayo
Speakers:
Luo Wendong, Professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research

16.30 – 17.45
Plenary: Into the 21st century: Marxism as a force for change today
Chair: Mary Davis
Speakers:
John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Sarah Mosoetsa, Professor of Sociology, at the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Johannesburg

In celebration of Karl Marx’s 200th birthday, the History & Theory Workshop at the University of Virginia is hosting a conference of 4 panels to discuss the continuing relevance of Marx’s writings to our world today. No invitation or ticket is required, anyone who is interested is welcome, and you are encouraged to come ready to ask questions and engage with both panelists and other attendees.